Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Sparse; Scattered: Describes things or people that are few in number and spread out over a large area or period of time, creating a sense of emptiness or being spread thin. It often implies an uneven, non-dense distribution.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Dân cư trong vùng này rất thưa thớt. (The population in this region is very sparse.)
  • Cây cối trên đồi trọc trở nên thưa thớt. (The trees on the bald hill became sparse.)
  • Tiếng súng cuối cùng chỉ còn thưa thớt. (The final gunshots were only scattered.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe abstract concepts like frequency or attendance.
  • Sự tham dự của khán giả khá thưa thớt. (Audience attendance was rather sparse.)
  • Những lời phàn nàn thưa thớt dần. (The complaints gradually became scattered.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thưa (adj): Thin, sparse (often for hair, trees). Can also be a polite particle meaning "excuse me".
  • Mái tóc thưa. (Thin hair.)

Synonyms

• Sparse: Few and far between.
• Scattered: Distributed loosely over an area.
• Thin: Having few parts or people in a given space.

Related Idioms

• While "thưa thớt" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in descriptive phrases to emphasize scarcity.
  • Thưa thớt như sao buổi sớm. (As sparse as stars at dawn.) – A poetic comparison.

adj

1. sparse; scattered